Mischief Managed
by notalone91
Summary: In the dawning of the autumn of 1979, the Marauders are enjoying the time they get to spend together before they become adults and the looming war. Est. Pairings: Wolfstar, James/Lily, Peter/Mary MacDonald
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is on my tumblr already. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue. Actually, I probably will. I don't know. Anyway, so... yeah. As usual, I don't own the boys or anything from the Harry Potter 'verse. I'm just writing for fun. Enjoy! :)

With a thud, a motorbike landed on a country road, upright and tires spinning, transitioning smoothly from flight to driving. It's riders, a pair of young men, seemed to have different takes on the action. One, the driver, a bit scruffy with flowing dark hair, hooted with delight as they made contact. The other, clean cut with a pair of dark sunglasses that seemed to swallow his entire face, didn't seem too happy with the entire situation.

Remus wrapped his arms tighter against Sirius, yelling over the roar of the motorbike, hoping desperately that it wouldn't take flight again, never sure whether it was the bike's own will or the operator's that did it. "Why are we doing this again?" He hated this blasted thing and had thought he'd made it clear. For some reason, though, here he was, plastered to the back of his boyfriend, following along behind two rented bikes carrying newlywed James and Lily Potter and Peter Pettigrew and Mary MacDonald.

"Because," Sirius called back, hair flying behind him and smattering in Remus's face, making the young man even more reminiscent of his canine form. "You were the one wanted to spend our last days summer together before you go off to nap training camp and I go off to Auror training with Peter and James, our best friends and fellow marauders, who you are abandoning doing something 'fun.'" He revved the engine and pulled back, bike levitating a bit and causing Remus to clutch for a stronger grip around his midsection. He let out a wicked laugh. "This is fun, Moony!"

"This is suicide is more like it," he yelled back, followed by a yelp as they swerved around a particularly adventurous hare.

They slowed back down a bit, taking on a more relaxed pace. "Oh, come on," Sirius cooed, taking one hand off the handlebars and smoothing it up into his passenger's hair. "You know you think it's sexy."

"I do," Remus concurred without any protest. "When it's just you. Because you're crazy enough to pull it off. I, as a moderately sane individual," he began to gesture with his hands as he spoke, panicked and froze for a moment before flinging himself back around Sirius, "cannot. Therefore, I find this to be rather terrifying."

A few moments later, the vehicle began to slow, whether of it's own volition or it's operator's, Sirius seemed to be on board. "Why don't we get off the bike for a while and go for a walk." The bike came to a stop and the Sirius hopped off, offering a hand to Remus, already aware that he was not the most elegant at disembarking.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked, looking ahead at the other two bikes vanishing into the distance. "You don't think James, Peter, Lily and Mary will mind if we're a bit behind?" He leaned over into the sidecar and pulled out a moderately small contraption that Sirius wasn't really sure of the function.

"I'm sure." Sensing no movement from the young man, he lifted him right off the metal hunk. "Besides," he added, putting him down with an oomph before lacing their fingers together in one smooth movement, "I know Mrs. Potter will more than understand the whinging of a woman right before her cycle." He laughed a bit, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"Oh, sod off," he scoffed pushing him away, then readjusting his sunglasses, though not releasing his grip on the other's hand. The pair walked along the grassy field silently for a few moments. Sirius kicked mindlessly at a small rock and hissed in pain when it didn't move, despite his force. Remus merely smiled, his brown eyes deep in thought. He stopped walking for a moment, hardly budging when Sirius moved almost to the full length of their arms. He tugged him back, sliding his free hand around his waist and slipping his thumb into the middle belt loop of his jeans. "What am I going to do without you?"

Sirius smiled his infamous mischievous, "shirk-it-all" playboy smile, dropping his left arm unceremoniously over Remus's shoulder. "You'll get by, I presume." He pursed his lips, nodding a bit, surveying the situation and looking off into the line of trees. "I mean, we lot-"

But he was cut off. "I didn't mean 'you lot'." Sirius's attention whipped back to Remus and only Remus. "I meant you."

Lacing his hand through the weathered young man's hair, his demeanor softened. They'd been through so much as a group and now so much more as a pair but none of it compared to what his Remus had been through as an individual. There was something so heartbreakingly beautiful about him. It seemed that, despite all of his reasons to let go and brood and fall into the playfully destructive habits that Sirius did, Remus never let it go that way. He knew who he was and what he needed to do to be the best that he could be. He never let people's perceptions of him get in the way. And he really admired that in him. But still, he couldn't bring himself to say it. "Moony…"

"No. Don't. Not yet." Remus interjected, not wanting to lose his nerve. "Let me finish." He'd been waiting since they'd left Hogwarts to have this conversation. The thought crossed his mind regularly. When he'd start off his morning with nothing more than a cup of tea and find in his bag a scone and an apple. Or when he'd come home from tutoring that insufferable first year that had nearly had to repeat and flop down on the couch in Sirius's flat to doze off and wake up with half as much space as he'd had before because Sirius had taken his dog form and curled up behind him. Or in their last few moments before falling asleep. Or the morning after a full moon, how he'd be almost unable to walk back to the shrieking shack and Sirius would stride up beside him, sweep him off his feet and carry him the remainder of the way.

Those were the moments he knew he loved him most. The little moments. And the moments he was scared to death of having to do without. "The last few months have been… incredible and now you're heading off to the ministry and I am performing mundane duties as intern for whomever they decide to stick me with." He took a deep breath, drinking in the sunlight and willing it to relax him, as it so often did. He looked closed his eyes and then, upon reopening them, realized that Sirius hadn't looked away from him. "We'll be apart. For the first time in 7 years," he felt the tears welling up in his brown eyes and focused on steadying his voice, which he knew would start to fail him, "we'll have go more than a couple of months without seeing each other every day." He pulled himself away, spinning himself in frustrated, stomping little circles as Sirius looked on. He stopped, focusing back on the young man in front of him. "Blimey, when was the last time we went more than a weekend without sharing a bed?" Sirius shook his head a little, unsure of the answer, now that he thought about it. Remus crossed closer to him again, leaning his cheek against the other boy's. "What are we going to do?"

This time, it was Sirius who wrapped his arms tightly around Remus. He rocked him back and forth, quietly until he felt the dampness of a foreign tear roll down his cheek. Remus was crying and that would never, never do. He immediately swooped into action, as he had done so many times before. "Hey, we'll get by." He pressed a bit of distance between them and adjusted the angle of his face so that they could see each other. "Hey. Hey now, don't start that." He wiped a tear away as Remus pulled back a few paces, resiliently wiping them away himself, as if a reminder that he'd have to become more independent. Sirius, unfazed, followed him step for step, placing his hands on Remus's waist. "Please. Listen to me. I have this motorbike and I can apparate and so can you. It's not like they won't let you out of that bloody castle from time to time and when they do, I'll be there." He nodded his head in one direction and the next, gesturing the various points of that sentence and not once breaking contact with his boyfriend. He slid his hands slowly up the boy's chest, feeling the soft fabric of his T-shirt beneath his weathered hands until they were behind his head, pulling him closer so that they were merely centimeters apart. "Hell, I know that castle just as well as you do," He waved his head a little before settling it against the other's forehead confidentially, "the ins and outs maybe better." Remus let out a tear-streaked laugh and Sirius smiled a bit. "So don't be surprised if you wake up and this," he circled his head a bit, breaking his touch and sliding into a goofy mock suave expression, "is looming over your beat up old mug, kissing the dreams from that head of yours." He placed a gentle kiss to his forehead, before rubbing his thumb along the slightly taller boy's jawline. "We'll be alright." Still, Remus didn't look at him. "You do trust me, don't you?" He nodded a little, allowing Sirius to relax a little. "Good. Now let's go." He tugged a bit at Remus, taking a few slow steps before suddenly, the small object from the sidecar was being thrust at him and Remus took off at a run heading for the bike and leaping across it. "Oi!" he yelled after him, sprinting, himself.

"Come on, Pads," he teased. "Get on the bike." He swiveled the front wheel pointing in one direction then the next and pretending to rev the engine but in actuality squeezing the brake.

Catching up, he patted the handlebars with a laugh. "They don't let sentimental old women drive these things."

"Who're you calling an old woman?" Remus asked incredulously, sliding his sunglasses back onto his eyes, puffing out his chest and putting his fists on his hips. "Who's on the dashing, macho motorbike and who, dare I ask, has a charming muggle camera?" The realization of what he had in his hands took over and Sirius stepped back, examining the artifact, a "handle" as it were, realizing that it spit the pictures from the top and easily figuring out where the capture button was. "Now, hop on-"

Click. The flashbulb lit and Remus was left stunned. It had taken him hours to figure out how to work his mother's camera and he'd figured it out quicker than the pictures themselves printed out? Unfair. Did he have to be so fast at everything? Sirius's eyebrows raised a bit, impressed with himself and sensing that Remus was too.

Still, Remus let out a playful laugh, "Oh you like that huh?"

Snap. Another flash.

"You tosspot!"

Click. A third bright light.

"Alright, you can stop now." Remus pouted a bit and Sirius strode toward him.

"Are you gonna get off of there and let me drive before you go ass over tit and take my bike with you?" He swayed a bit where he stood, raising the camera up beside him.

Remus made an over exaggerated pout and stuck out his chin. "'M not."

A fourth click. A fourth flash. "Now?" Remus shook his head, folding his arms across his chest. Sirius got ever closer, resting the camera on the sidecar, and entangled his hands in the lower hem of his boyfriend's shirt. "Now?"

Rolling his head back, he cooed "Getting warmer."

"How about now?" Sirius pressed a trail of kisses up from the lowest region of skin left exposed above his T-shirt, up his neck, across his strong jaw, then finally landing on his mouth. His lips parted ever so slightly, his tongue making a journey of it's own, darting across to the lips of the boy atop the motorbike. When they finally parted and Remus pulled Sirius in tighter, sliding backward on the bike, Sirius moved one hand away, reaching across and grabbing the camera for one last surprise picture. He deepened the kiss, nearly laying himself atop Remus and flash. The bright light sent Remus sliding back far enough, leaving room for Sirius to swing his leg over the bike and chorus a quick "Alright then, off we go," before howling into the wind, tossing the camera and snapshots into the vacant sidecar.

Remus simply rolled his eyes and pressed his cheek into Sirius's back as they reared up into the air, catching up to the rest of the group before they knew it.

—

A ragged man stares at the contents of an envelope of pictures dated 31 August 1979. Shadows of himself and ghosts of his past stand stoic on the sepia toned papers. He reaches a point in the group where stand four pictures of himself, each with a grotesque face as though taken mid sentence. Then, as fast as they had appeared, the next- another picture of himself with another boy plastered on top of him. He looked so happy. He almost couldn't remember being that happy, but the photo. He could almost feel the sun, the lips, the l- no. He slammed the photos back into the envelope and into a box in his trunk before lugging it off to the train station to board the Hogwarts express as he'd intended to do less than 24 hours after those pictures were taken.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: TW Rape. Also battle/kidnapping?/injury. All of this is toward the end of the chapter though. I'll leave a mark (***) for where to abandon ship if these are triggery for you.

James, Lily, Peter and Mary had set up their picnic dinner in the middle of circular patch of grass surrounded by a path by the time that Sirius's motorbike roared into existence and landed beside them. Without so much as turning to confirm the identities of the riders, James called over his shoulder, "What took you two so long? I thought you'd caught up."

Sirius hopped off the bike and offered a chivalrous hand to Remus, guiding him off and steadying him. "Had to stop. The little woman was..."

"I was getting a little nauseous, that's all," he said, concealing himself behind Sirius upon realizing that his fly was still undone and doing it as fast as he could

Lily nodded sympathetically. "You too, Remus?"

"These motorbikes are rough," Mary added, leaning her head against Peter with a comfortable smile.

Remus crossed his legs, dropping to the ground and laughed, looking suggestively at Sirius, including him in a joke to which no one else was privy. "Yeah," he laughed. They chatted happily as Sirius fussed about his bike and how it was parked and, once he finally sat down, draping his arms around Remus' midsection and picking a crisp off the plate only to be swatted away moments later, he added finally, "This is nice."

Looking down shyly, Mary replied, "Yeah. Mum used to bring me here years ago so I could practice my spells without hurting anyone or anything." Lily laughed incredulously, remembering a particular lesson in which a certain girl wound up transfiguring her own shoes into roller skates instead of the pair on the desk. It wouldn't have been bad, had she realized it before standing up.

A smug grin crossed James' face as he stretched out a bit, taking Lily with him, and earning eye rolls from the rest of the place. "What's this place called, again?" he asked, as Lily smacked his hands away.

"Roundshaw," Mary answered.

"Nice, he said, nudging Sirius with his foot.

With that in addition to the leading glare from Peter, Sirius got the memo. "Very, very nice, indeed," he surveyed. "I must say, I'm impressed, Mary."

Her smile broadened genuinely. "Thanks, Sirius. You know... I think this is the most time I've ever spent in the same room with you, despite seven years of school in the same house and everything." That was likely the fact. She was a recent addition to their motley crew, but since Peter had started disappearing for days at a time, he seemed to be trying to cram everyone into one slot of time. Peter reached his hand across her lap, grabbing an apple out of the basket. "Not to mention that Peter," his eyes widened upon hearing his name, then readjusted, realizing that there was nothing wrong, "and I have been dating since sixth year."

Sirius shook his head and scowled. "Well, it may have escaped your notice but this is, in fact-" he gasped, "not a room."

The rest of the group looked at him expectantly. Mary looked mildly hurt. Lily looked shocked at how rude his statement had come across. James and Remus merely rolled their eyes, knowing that there had to be more to that statement. It wasn't until Peter, with surprisingly accurate aim, especially in the eight years they'd known each other, heaved the remainder of his apple at Sirius' head.

Sirius took a bite and winged it back at the smallest boy, hitting him square in the middle of the forehead, accuracy unsurprisingly spot on. "But-" he spat, "I have noticed and I am now finding..." the other four, less Remus who looked at Mary and tried to gauge if he should end this abruptly and apologize on the dunderhead's behalf, continued their gaze as he muttered something that sounded vaguely like "surrogate tits."

The boy in his lap's head snapped up, "I'm sorry, what?" he asked with a hesitant, forced laugh that caused the rest of their group to laugh at him.

Blowing his hair from in front of his eyes as a disguise for the sigh he released, he repeated, over enunciating this time, "That I regret it." He rolled his eyes for emphasis and hid behind Remus, his efforts to play it cool failing miserably. Truth be told, he'd still been holding out some hope that Peter and James would wind up together so they'd never have to break up their marauding and hijinks. But nothing could be that easy.

Popping the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth, she said, "Well, thank you. That was profoundly sweet." After a moment, she added in a staged whisper, "And, truth be told, I have to agree."

They chatted in the setting sun until James had passed out curled around Lily, who was trying to knock Remus' last gobstone out of their makeshift circle, only to miss completely and have it gob all over her. Sirius let out a rough chortle at the sight of prim and proper Evans covered in goo. He leaned up and whispered something into Remus' ear that clearly didn't play to her modest sensibilities. Remus giggled a bit and set a resounding slap to the joker's thigh. Unaware that the joke was, in this case, on her, Lily stood up, brushing grass from her pants and moving a step away from the group. "Should we set up some enchantments so the muggles don't realize that there are people still here?"

Sirius thrust his hip into the small of Remus' back, smiling suggestively. "Go ahead, Moony."

The sun burned the mist from the morning air. James crawled out of his and Lily's tent and fell flat on his stomach to a smattering of laughter to the members of the group who'd already awakened. "How do muggles do this?" he whined, hoisting himself off the ground and sliding in next to Peter around their small fire. "Accio mug," he commanded, wiping sleep from his eyes and pouring himself a cup of coffee from the pot that hung across.

Peter looked over at him, "Do what?" He hadn't had too much trouble with any of it, granted he'd been used to sleeping on the floor. Whenever the four of them would stay in the same house, Sirius and Remus would clamber for the bed, James would then make a mad dash for the couch leaving Peter on the floor. He didn't much mind, though.

"Camp," he replied, flopping backwards as though it would help any.

Sirius walked back toward the group from where he'd been concealed behind a tree, relieving himself. "What do you mean? It's no different than my flat," he said with a laugh.

Propping himself up on his elbows, the man on the ground rolled his eyes. "Pads, your flat has a bed and a couch," he said. "We slept on a blanket on the ground."

Rather confused, the scruffier of the pair asked, "You did?"

"Didn't you?" he asked, starting to feel that this entire process was getting out of hand.

"Well, Moony and I spent some time on the floor," he drawled, "but that was our own choice because we ran out of space."

James furrowed his brow. "What do you mean by that?"

For the first time in some years, Sirius found himself at a loss. His mouth hung a bit open as he drug his fingernails across his lower lip. "Sometimes, he likes to get a bit more active in our go rounds and it's a bit easier to get under him if we-"

James sprung to his feet, tossing the now empty tin cup at his shoulder. "No, I meant by 'your choice', moron."

"Well, I guess... why don't you go see for yourself?" Sirius responded with a jerk of his head in the direction of his and Remus' tent.

After a moment of deliberation, after all, he'd fallen for more likely pranks from Sirius before, James headed to the tent. Peeling back the flap, he leaned in, expecting perhaps a cot on either side or something of the like. He leaned through and, when the room wasn't as small as he'd expected, he froze, staring wide-eyed at the full room, and then at Remus, who was sitting on a King sized bed, pulling a T-Shirt over his head and then turned back around, leaving the tent. He stood up to his right size, took a walk around the tent and then stepped inside, still a bit scared to stand up.

Remus loosed a small laugh but quickly disguised it as a cough. He waited expectantly for some sort of a reaction from James but none came. He merely gaped.

After giving him a moment to let it all sink in, Sirius walked in behind him, clapping his hands on James' shoulders. "Wha?" He hung his head around and asked honestly. "Do your parents not have these?"

"No," he said, finally coming around. "But now I feel like I've seriously been missing out."

Pursing his lips, he shrugged a bit, "Oh yeah, well..."

But James cut across him again, unmoving. "PETER!"

The pair took another step toward Remus to allow in the next person. Peter came rushing in and crashed headfirst into Sirius with a terrible thud. "What happened? How many of you are..." As soon as he was fully inside, Peter need hardly look up before, "Merlin!"

"Oh, what? Your family doesn't have one either? I thought every wizarding family had these." Sirius moved away from the two and took a leap toward the bed, flopping down dramatically. "Regulus and I each had one for the times when Mum and Dad would toss us out on our ear." His face fell a bit at the thought of his brother and he reached for Remus, entwining their hand. "They really came in handy."

Missing the hurt in the last statement, Peter pressed on. "And did you have it with you at school?"

"No. Why would I have needed it there?" he asked, unceremoniously pulling Remus across the bed and on top of him.

James paced a bit, going off on a tirade. "Well, let's see. Nights spent in the Dark Forest, nights spent in the hallway after McGoogley told the fat lady not to let us in after hours, that time we snuck into the girls' -"

Remus raised an eyebrow to his boyfriend who merely shrugged, still cutting James off before he could go into full detail of that night's activities. "Okay. I get it. It would have come in handy. I get it. Well, we have it now, don't we?"

"Yeah. We certainly do. Speaking of which- Pete, you're coming with us for whatever this special meeting Dumbledear has in store, yes?" James asked, turning to the boy at his right who seemed to jump at the sound of his name.

He shifted nervously away from James and sat down on the small table in the corner. "Um... Probably not." He rubbed his hands together and looked away.

"Why?" Remus queried.

"I just..." he stammered. "I don't think I can."

Though he wasn't sure what the deal was of late, James merely shook his head. "Alright then. Should we report back to you, then? Tell you the gist of it?"

Visibly shaking, Peter nodded to signify that that should be the plan. Sirius reached over and nudged the smaller boy on the shoulder. "Lighten up, Wormtail." Another mere nod. "What's eating you?" He asked, sitting cross-legged at his friend's feet.

"Nothing, nothing. Just..." he looked at Sirius for a moment, then completely away. "It's weird that we're all splitting up now. Like nothing's going to be the same."

Sirius moved a bit closer, putting his hands on Peter's arms. "Hey now, the only one going anywhere is Moony and we'll see him all the time anyway." He looked back at James who seemed completely dumbfounded by the sudden outburst of emotion. "We still have Marauding to do that just can't wait." Following his gaze, he turned his head ever-so-slightly to maintain eye contact. "We'll see each other middle of next week, won't we?" He looked over to the bed, where Remus was still sitting. His expression changed a bit, frowning. He wasn't sure how he felt about the fact that his changings were to be now seen as joyful occasions, but ultimately it did make him feel a little better to know that he wouldn't have to be alone. Sirius nodded and James crossed to the bed, plopping down next to Remus and dropping an arm around his friend. "Nothing's really going to change, Pete."

As Sirius finished his sentiment, there was a rustle from the opening of the tent. Lily shook the two opening flaps, speaking first "Are you boys all-" but when she finally managed to get herself into the tent, all she could manage was an astonished "Woah."

From behind, Mary leaned on her friend's back and peered in. "Oh, you have one too, Sirius?" She pushed Lily in a bit further, examining the pictures on the table, trailing her fingers idly over the dark wooden frame. "We got one of these when I was first accepted to Hogwarts."

Springing to his feet, the tent's owner sprung to the girl's side excitedly. "Thank you!" He clapped his hands around her arm and pulled her close, landing a cartoonish kiss to her cheek.

This was a bit too much for the girl. She was dumbfounded. "Uh... we should..." she stuttered, shocked by the sudden display of fondness. "We should go if we want to get Remus to King's cross in time." She shook her head as though to rid the previous moment from her mind.

Dropping his hands to his thighs and willing himself to get up, Remus merely moaned, "Okay." And so they went about taking down their tents and putting an end to their enchantments

Remus, the one who should have been the most eager to get going, seemed to be the only one dragging his heels. Of late, he'd been second guessing his desire to go back to Hogwarts. He knew that it was important that he did but something told him that the Order might have needed him more. When he'd voiced his concerns to Professor Dumbledore, the closest thing he'd gotten to a real answer was just before they'd taken off for their little road trip. He'd told him, "The importance of a person is not measured in battles, but in lives. You'll be doing more than your share of the Order work at Hogwarts, Mr. Lupin." Truth be told, he wasn't sure what good he could do anywhere, but that was for another time. He needed to be secure and, in that moment, security was within the walls of a Scottish castle.

The group moved towards where they'd parked their bikes and chatted away. Mary and Lily were at the front, giggling a bit as they walked arm in arm. In an interesting switch, it was the boys who were quiet. James walked a pace ahead, Remus and Sirius were in the middle, hands interlocked, Peter was a step behind, staring at his feet. James tossed a casual look over his shoulder and fell back, falling in next to Sirius and breaking the eerie silence. "You know, Pads, I don't know how you ride all the time." Remus and Sirius exchanged a snide smile, Sirius opening his mouth slightly as if to warn him not to go there. James didn't seem to notice and tugged lightly at the fabric around his crotch. "My nads are still throbbing."

Even though he'd been trying to be good, he just couldn't resist. This was too good. "You don't think that could have something to do with Evans... excuse me, The Missus being draped around you from behind, now could it?"

"Sex only works that way for you knob gobbers," James laughed, landing a punch to his shoulder.

Peter leaned forward, chiming in. "Actually, Mary prefers to-"

"Woah, woah. Enough," Remus laughed, putting up his free hand and clapping it over Peter's mouth. "That's more than enough." As he had every time that'd happened since they were eleven, Peter nipped lightly at the palm of Remus's hand until he let up.

He reached forward and mussed the taller boy's hair a bit. "Still our little blushing flower, aren't you? Gotta keep it clean for the kiddies."

"Oh yeah, real clean, seeing hat I'm going back to the place that produced you heathens," he said in retort, climbing onto the bike behind Sirius.

James stood next to their bike for a moment and answered "And you too, oh genteel one," before striding off to his own motorbike and clamoring on with a grimace.

"Nevertheless," he called after, "I have to keep some sort of an image of an upstanding nature, don't I?" Before he could finish his statement, they were taking off for the sun, engines roaring and heading for destiny.

Three motorbikes squealed to a halt in the parking lot of King's Cross station. Sirius hopped off his bike an pulling Remus along with and the group set off for Platform 9 & 3/4. "How're we set for time?" Sirius asked.

James looked down at his watch and said, "I've got 10:56. It'll be tight, but if Moony makes a run for it, he'll make it."

"I..." he looked dumbfoundedly between his friends for a moment before settling on Sirius.

But the words needn't have been spoken. "I know," he said.

Remus still wasn't sold on it. "You could still come with me," he said, pulling Sirius closer, whispering almost confidentially.

"What?" he responded, "And have you glare at me when I chase after McGoogleybear? What if they were to stick me with her?" He leaned his forehead against Remus' and loosed a throaty laugh.

"With your Transfiguration marks?" he scoffed. "Not bloody likely."

"Remus..." Lily said, placing her hand gently on his shoulder.

He closed his eyes and nodded. "I know, I know." He reached his hands up to Sirius' strong jaw and pulled him close, pressing his lips tenderly to his and after, whispered a soft "I love you," leaving hardly a hair's breadth between them.

Sirius, too, closed his eyes, feeling the ache of missing him set in already. "I love you, too," he breathed.

Remus bolted up, green eyes searching the dark ones he'd known for so long, hardly believing what he'd heard. "That's the first time you've said it back."

The other merely smirked. "It's not the first time I've meant it." The soon to be professor in training crashed back at his boyfriend, throwing his arms around his neck, somehow forgetting that this was not exactly the time or place for a passionate snog.

"Moony!" James hissed, grabbing his friend by the shirt and pulling him back to reality.

Remus looked around at his friends and then to the stone wall between platforms 9 and 10. "Right, okay. I have to..." He kissed Sirius once again.

Indulging him for a moment, the taller boy kissed him back hard before pulling away. "Go," he said, gesturing to the wall.

"I have to go," he nodded. With that, Remus turned on his heel and made a run for the wall, vanishing into it and leaving his friends behind.

The group remained silent for a time. Each shifting restlessly as they stared at the entrance to the platform. After a while, groups of parents and siblings began to reemerge from seemingly nowhere. James and Peter exchanged a look that spoke volumes, each knowing what had to be done, no matter how much it hurt. Peter grabbed a hold of Mary's hand and kissed it gently. James draped his arms around his wife, holding her tight, realizing again for what might have been the millionth time how grateful he was to have her in his life. Sirius just stared.

Moments passed. The platforms began to clear out. James looked down at his watch again. 11:04. He clapped his hand down on Sirius' shoulder and sighed. "Come on, Pads."

"Yeah, mate," Peter concurred. "It's not gonna do you much good to stand there staring at the wall."

"I know. I just can't help but hope that..." Sirius trailed off. He'd been holding on to the selfish hope that maybe he'd changed his mind. But that wasn't his Moony.

Lily saw it in his eyes and stepped toward him, pressing her cheek to his briefly, before turning him around so that he'd look at her. "Sirius, he didn't miss..."

James, Peter and Mary had turned back to the wall and gaped. A voice joined Lily's. "The train?" Lily's mouth hung open, seeing Remus stride toward them out of the barricade. Sirius whipped around and took the few steps toward him. His hands wandered to Remus' face as though it had been weeks. He couldn't believe it. "Yeah. I did. Looks like you lot'll have to accompany me up to the castle."

A broad grin spread across Sirius' face. He hugged Remus tightly, running his hands down his arms and grasping for his hands. He peered around the other boy an smiled at the rest of the group. "Okay, boys. Saddle up your hogs and away we go."

They moved quickly toward the exit and out into the parking lot, laughing and rather excited to be continuing their journey. When they reached their bikes, they hopped on quickly and started the engines.***

All, that is, except James. Despite dreading the pressure of the bike for another six hours, he just had an increasingly funny feeling. A handful of familiar faces seemed to be pacing the perimeter of the lot. He crossed to Sirius' bike and leaned over to his friend. "I'm not trying to be a prick or a worry-wort or anything, but... isn't that your cousin?"

Sirius whipped his head to the spot where James was indicating. "Shit," he hissed, clamoring to the ground and turning to James. His eyes dashed from corner to corner, surveying the oncoming storm. "Do you see any more of her cronies?"

He shook his head, then turned to a nod when she was suddenly one of five pacing the perimeter. "D'ya think they're here for us?"

"Why else would they be here?" he snapped, gesturing for the rest of their crew to join him. "There's going to be a fight here. Are you all ready?"

Before anyone had the time to think, let alone prepare or answer, Bellatrix Lestrange was barreling toward them. "Watch out, Baby Cousin! We're not here for you," she screeched, knocking him out of the way and grabbing Mary by the hair. A tall man locked his arm around Peter's neck and apparated out of sight.

"Don't touch her!" Lily screamed, casting a knockback jinx at the deranged woman and starting the battle.

Wands cast streaks of different colored light as they fought, though the Marauders & co weren't entirely sure what this was about. While they didn't know what Mary was supposed to have done, they weren't about to let this lot take her.

The group scattered, taking on the sudden crowd of opposing forces, still keeping each other in sight. An ear piercing "Crucio" split its way through them, the red beam headed straight for Lily.

James called out to her, mid strike. "Lily!" But he was too late. She was already under the effect of the spell, writhing in agony. "Expelliarmus!" As soon as the spell broke, he pulled Lily behind a nearby car.

Bellatrix was sent flying back. In a flash of dark smoke, she was gone. For the moment, at least. The air fell still and he stayed crouched behind their makeshift shelter, protecting her.

"James!" Lily whimpered "Are they gone?" She groaned, pulling herself up to a sitting position.

He looked around, trying to draw a conclusion. "I don't think so."

Sirius and Remus could be heard casting protective spells behind them. She searched the parking lot. Mary was crawling around through cars looking for the attackers' feet. Peter, however, was nowhere to be found. "Where'd they take Peter?"

All he could manage was a light shake of his head. "I don't know." When Lily shot a concerned look at him, he responded, "we will find him though."

A gut-wrenching scream perforated the air. Lily looked around and a large man was lumbering toward her. "MARY!"

James darted over the hood of the car and grabbed her. While he was getting her to safety, she was struck unconscious, but at least she was alive. He propped her up against the car. "Mary?" No response. "Mary!" Still nothing. "Fuck!" He ran his hands through his hair nervously before turning to his wife. "Lily, take her and hide."

"No," she answered, eyes widening in disbelief. "I'm not going anywhere." She was not having his chivalry for a moment. Not today. Not with this lot running around.

A spark of green light landed between the pair of them. He reached for her and pushed her toward the building. "Go!"

She dug in her heels and turned around, swatting his hand away. "NO!" He pushed again so she turned around and kissed him, pulling his lower lip between her own. "I'm staying, damn it."

He looked her up and down. "I had to marry a damned ginger." He laughed, kissing the top of her head and lightly shoving her back, firing a curse at the man coming behind her. The man fell to the ground and he grabbed her by the hand, stashing her between two cars.

"Yeah, and a stubborn one at that," she said when he'd finally turned away.

The battle raged on and a well-dressed blonde man strode towards them. Pulling his wand from his walking stick, and brandished it at the pair. His speech was elongated, leaving James adequate time to hit him with a binding jinx, grab Lily and the now stirring Mary and make a run for it. They dashed across the lot, heading for Remus and Sirius.

As they'd not had Mary with them, they'd managed to stay moderately clear of a large portion of the trouble. That wasn't to say that they weren't in a threat zone. The two men that had found them were unyielding.

The more resilient of the pair grabbed Sirius by the hair, pulling him down an alley then threw an arm across him and effectively pinning him to the wall behind him.

"Sirius!" Remus dashed forward, trying to place the familiar face. After a moment, he froze. Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf who'd attacked him, leaving him in the form he was today. His blood ran cold as he tried desperately to pry the man from him.

Greyback merely laughed. "Get 'im, Dolohov." From behind the small, yet foreboding man wrapped his arms around Remus, digging his wand into the crook of his neck.

"Moony!" Sirius cried, making an attempt to wrench himself from the man's arms.

Trailing his nose along Remus' neck, he inhaled deeply. "I can smell it on you." He laughed menacingly, digging his sharp fingernails into his arm.

"What?" Remus growled.

He scraped his nails up Remus' side before clamping it over his mouth. Sirius managed, only for a moment, to dig his wand from his pocket. He aimed his wand, curse forming on his lips before- "Expelliarmus." His wand clattered to the ground and the pair of them were now completely defenseless against the Death Eaters.

Remus fought tirelessly in the man's arms. He desperately wanted to get free of his grip. A strangled "Mnngh" was all that was heard.

Despite the trapped young man's best efforts, the smaller man held him tighter and hissed into his ear. "You're one like him, ain'tcha?" He moved the hand that had been covering Remus' mouth and wagged a finger at Greyback. He'd heard the stories of the young boy old Fenrir had turned but he'd never imagined he'd actually be able to get his hands on him.

After years of training by his friends, he now had the perfect opportunity to make use of their nasty, juvenile tactics. Remus made a guttural, grinding noise and then spat right in the attacker's face.

Dolohov smiled, wiping away the wetness and slamming his hand back over the younger man's mouth. "Feisty," he cooed, thrusting his hips up hard.

Feeling the aggressor's hardening cock, Remus screamed. Though his screams were muted, the effect was not lost on Sirius. He thrashed and kicked, trying desperately to reach. Greyback pushed harder on Sirius' chest, making it rather difficult to breath. But he had to fight. For Remus.

Remus wriggled and stomped and kicked, trying to make his way out of his arms. Finally, not knowing what else to do, his basic survival instincts kicked in and he clamped down hard on the flesh between his attacker's forefinger and thumb, careful not to draw blood, knowing the horrifying consequences that could come if he did.

"Hmm..." Dolohov mused, biting in turn at the nape of his neck. "I like that in a fuck. Wouldn't that be nice after all of this?" He slid his hand down Remus' chest into the waistband of his pants, eyes flickering up to Sirius all the while. "A nice little victory for me?"

The pair of marauders thrashed wildly, trying to free themselves. Sirius squirmed, reaching his hands for Remus', likewise outstretched. Remus kicked his feet back, trying to create a distance between the two of them. He was desperate to get away, to get to Sirius, find the others and get out of there.

Seeing how clearly his actions upset Sirius, he forced Remus around and pushed him up against the wall a distance away from him. "We'll see how your little boyfriend likes seeing you completely mangled..." he hissed, undoing his pants and grinding hard against his victim, flashing a toothy grin at Sirius, "or is he used to it?" His words deceptively soft, he began rubbing his bare prick against Remus'. "Hm?" Remus turned his face to Sirius and closed his eyes. This couldn't be happening. Dolohov's free hand grasped tightly at the younger man's jaw. "Look at me! Do you let him see you become the creature you truly are?" When his questions went unanswered, he merely growled, "Fine, we'll put that pretty mouth of yours to good use. He pressed his mouth firmly against Remus', forcing his snakelike tongue into his mouth and moaning deeply. When he pulled himself off with a sickening smack, he forced Remus to his knees and began fucking his mouth.

Sirius managed to find a moment, just one, that had Greyback off of him ever so slightly. He grabbed a hold on the werewolf's arm and twisted it back, spinning around him, grabbing his wand and quietly rendering him unconscious. Dolohov, eyes closed and head bowed, noticed nothing.

Remus, however, through his now rampant tears, followed Sirius' every motion, fearing that if he moved in the slightest, Dolohov would notice and snap his neck.

From behind the attacker, Sirius took aim. "Stupefy!"

In an instant, Dolohov was on the ground, out cold. Sirius rushed forward to catch Remus who began to fold over in half, sobbing. He threw his arms around his boyfriend and rocked him back and forth, now crying himself. "I've got you. I've got you," he repeated. Knowing that there was nothing for him to say, he still felt that he needed to keep talking or Remus would forget it was him. "You're okay. I've got you."

Remus wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. "Please, don't leave me. Don't let him take me, Sirius," he wailed.

Taken aback, he got to his feet, pulling Remus with him and draping Remus' arms around his neck. "I'm not leaving you. Not ever." He swept the boy off his feet and started walking back to the mouth of the alley. "I promise." Unsure if this was the proper moment, he whispered "I love you."

Lily's voice came screaming from the distance. "Sirius! Remus?"

"Moony?" James screamed after, desperate for a response, "Padfoot?"

"James! Lily!" Sirius picked up his gait a bit. "We're here. We're over here." He took a few moments and appraised the frightened looks from Lily, James and Mary and added, partially as a reminder for Remus, a confirmation for himself and of course for the group facing him, "We're safe."

It was only after he'd settled himself down a bit, sliding Remus into the sidecar that he looked around again and took his companions into consideration and saw a distraught and confused Mary standing between his bike and James and Lily's that it hit him. "Where's Peter?"


	3. Chapter 3

Five young adults occupied the living room of the Potter home. Mary was laid out on the couch, sobbing uncontrollably. Lily strode toward her friend with a cup of tea and perched herself on the arm back of the piece of furniture, stepping gently over her friend and stroking her back slowly. Sirius sat in the large living chair, his head supported by his hand, trying feebly to fight off the onslaught of emotions he knew were about to come to a head. On the floor between his feet sat Remus, knees pulled into his chest but clinging to Sirius' leg as opposed to his own, a position he'd come to know quite well over the years. He wasn't sure what had happened back at King's Cross but after his run in with Dolohov, he couldn't help but feel that it had something to do with him. It had only been a few hours and the guilt he felt, especially for poor Peter who was now on his own with the monsters, was overwhelming. As he felt himself beginning to slip away, he held tighter to Sirius. After years of practice, the longer haired man knew what that meant. He reached down and swept the spindly man up onto his lap. James, however, could not be still. He paced and paced as though his thoughts controlled the movement of his legs.

Since they'd made it back to Godric's Hollow, everyone had been on edge. Sirius had helped Remus clean up and shrug himself into a pair of James' old jeans and an even older jumper. It didn't look like it'd been worn since they were about fourteen and it still swallowed the man alive. Likewise, Lily had taken Mary into the kitchen and managed to calm her down a bit, washing her face and hands and brushing her hair back.

Presently, the boys' incessant arguing over a plan of action had dissolved into an attempt to make Remus aware that none of what had happened was his fault and that he should go on with his plans as soon as he felt ready.

James turned on his heel, coming to face the set in the chair, gesturing wildly with his hands. "Moony, you could have been killed."

"And wouldn't we all have been better off?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. The four pairs of eyes widened, turning directly to him, looking stung. Feeling Sirius' grip tighten around him, he launched himself into the middle of the room. He swung one arm wide, indicating what was, presumably, what he meant to be the death eaters. "People like them can…" he swallowed hard. "They can smell people like me."

The redhead's gaze softened, "And most of the rest of us, or so they think, Remus." She knew what he meant. This wasn't his first run in with that lot, but it wasn't anyone else in the room's. She was muggleborn. Mary was halfblood. Sirius was a 'blood traitor.' James, though pureblood, had married her and consorted with all sorts of "undesirables." They'd all met the wrath of the Dark Lord's ideals on numerous occasions.

Still, the disgruntled man turned to her, sharply. "Stop it, Lily. Alright. I know." He walked over to the wall and slid down it. "I'm a danger to myself and to everyone else and somehow that means I'd be better off at Hogwarts but I'm not going." The boys looked at him imploringly. "I won't go." He reiterated. "But," Remus added, "I am going with you."

Sirius turned himself out of the chair and knelt down next to him and cupped his hand against his boyfriend's jaw. "Listen to me, you bloody loon," he scooted closer, the proximity shooting through a still-scared Remus like ice, "you're not a danger to anyone else and I can swear to you that both Prongs and I would prefer to have you by our sides while we go look for Wormtail." He realized what he was doing and backed away a bit, as though regarding a small, frightened kitten. He looked back at James who nodded surely, before he looked back into Remus' eyes, trying to see what he saw. "But why would you give up your spot at Hogwarts for that."

The room went silent for a moment. Even Mary had stopped sniffling and looked on at the boys. Remus closed his eyes and shook his head. "Marauders," he started.

"Moony-" the boys responded in practiced unison, garnering an eye roll from Lily.

The boy on the floor exhaled. "All for one and one for all, remember?" His friends expressions' softened at the allusion they'd made countless times. He stood, heading for James and pulling Sirius along with him. "You lot spent seven years not giving me a moment to myself; Trying to make me see that the four of us were an inseparable unit." James and Sirius smirked at each other proudly. They had done that, hadn't they? As they went, the man was regaining steam. "Well, here we are and I'm all for it. We can't let him be out there on his own and for Merlin knows how long. That's not how it works. Right? It's not like…" He continued on looking between the two who didn't seem to notice his query.

Over the years they'd developed an unspoken communication among the group. In this case, a raised eyebrow from James to Remus communicated a silent 'He's your boyfriend'. A dropped corner of the mouth accompanied by a sideways glance from Sirius was his way of retorting 'He is right, though' and a final shrug and eyeroll from James started a rebuttal that would have ended weakly anyway, had they not been interrupted by the man still ranting.

"…You seem to forget. I'm not a child, not any more than either of you." He shoved his fingers lightly into the pair's respective shoulders. "Standing in front of me exchanging those sodding 'What do you think, dear' looks will do absolutely nothing but irritate the piss out of me." From behind the boys, Lily loosed a stifled laugh. She knew exactly what he meant and agreed wholeheartedly. Remus looked at her briefly with a hint of a smile before turning to James. "I can make my own decisions and this is it. I'm going with you." He placed his palm flat on Sirius' chest and shook his head, his own 'You two are exhausting.'

The rest of the afternoon went quietly. Mary dozed off shortly after. Lily and James had a quick, hushed conversation in the hallway. Remus felt a little better, though he still couldn't shake the dirty, used feeling. He was running on pure adrenaline, but he knew one thing. They needed to get Peter and get back.

After a short preparation, they headed down the front walk towards the bikes. James called over to Sirius and Remus, "Alright, then Marauders, are we off?"

Sirius took a glance across the set of them. "Looks like it."

"Where to?" Remus asked.

"We should probably let Padf-"

James was cut off. Sirius already knew where they had to go. "We have to go to Grimmauld place."

"Pads, no." He looked at his friends on the motorbike next to him and pled with Remus to agree with him.

"We have to. You have the cloak, right?" James nodded, reluctantly. "Then, I can get inside, get what information we need and then we can go find my batty old cousin and sort this all out." He turned the engine, signaling for his friend to do the same.

Leaning forward, Sirius asked "Are you sure?" He knew how uncomfortable being in that part of London made him, let alone the thought of being in the house that brought him such nightmares.

"What other choice do we have?" he near-barked.

Wrapping his arms tighter around the larger boy, he responded, "Fine, but if you're not out of there in ten minutes, I'll have no choice but to apparate in and pull you out by that boot brush you call a beard."

Sirius looked over his shoulder, intending, at first, to scold Remus for mocking the beard, but by the time he could, the passenger's hands were covering the newly-grown hair, pulling him into a kiss. The argument came out more like a garbled "Hrrmmm". The pair was cut apart by the sound of a revving engine. Sirius gave Remus a long look before concluding on a weak "Fine."

For the most part, their flight went smoothly, even if it was the most silent the trio had ever been with each other. Remus pulled tightly against Sirius' back, pressing his cheek against the rough fabric of his jacket, bracing himself against the wind. As they sped away, he let a single tear fall. Though he'd never imagined himself to have a normal life like his friends, this war-time mentality wasn't what he'd imagined either. He didn't expect to lose one of his friends so soon. He shook his defeatist attitude from his head. They couldn't afford to think like that. They were going to find Peter and everything would go back to the way it had been. His thoughts jarred along with his body as Sirius brought the bike down into the park across from Number 12 Grimmauld Place with a loud crash.

The local disembarked and stood between his friends. Remus reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly, eyes sympathetic. He knew that this wasn't ideal but, when it came down to it, what was anymore? James reached into the pack tied tightly to his belt and pulled from it the shimmery material that had played accomplice to so many of their adventures over the years and draped it over his friend's shoulders and, when he'd received the nod, flipped it up over his head. Though the boys couldn't tell where he'd gone from there, the loud crack guaranteed that he had, in fact, gone.

As Sirius reopened his eyes, he was in his old bedroom. He couldn't find a trace of himself there and he was glad of it. He crossed to the door and opened it the tiniest bit. When it was clear that no one was in the upstairs hallway, he swung the door back and crept down the stairs to the first floor.

When he reached the front drawing room, the place he knew he'd find his mother, she sat in front of the fire screaming into it. "YOU DID WHAT? BELLATRIX, HOW COULD YOU EVER TOUCH THOSE FILTHY…" He clenched and unclenched his fists, wand drawn at the back of the chair. It was one thing to be in this house. It was another story entirely to have her speaking of his friends- no, his real family- like that. Still, he knew he needed information that he could only get by staying silent. The withered old woman roared on. "I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT YOU SHOULD BE THROWN OUT OF THE FAMILY. YOU…" He heard his cousin squeak from the other side of the fire, hardly audible and a screaming Peter flashed into the fireplace and then back out. "Oh, ho ho. I see. Well. That's better." Sirius retreated from the room silently, still under James' cloak. He made it down the hallway before he heard the last of his mother's screeching. "HE'S WHAT? Oh, that is delicious." When he reached his old bedroom, he landed a strong punch to the door, punctuating the air.

With a loud crack, he was gone having reappeared in the park across the street with his friends. "She has him." He panted, mounting the motorbike and folding his arms over the handlebars, landing his head on them with a frustrated smack.

James and Remus looked at each other slowly before Remus slid his hand forward, rubbing lightly over his back. He exhaled carefully, closing his eyes, afraid that he already knew the answer. "Who has him? Where?"

He leaned back, a sudden fire burning in his eyes. "Bellatrix has him. Where she's been staying." He kicked the stand back and started the bike. "With Narcissa and her husband."

Over the roar of the engine, James yelled, "Why isn't she staying with her husband?"

Remus braced himself for the ride, knowing already that it was to be eventful. He called back to the other bike, "Rudolphus was tossed into Azkaban months back."

That was an answer he hadn't been expecting. James knew that Sirius' family wasn't always on the right side of morality, but for some reason he hadn't been fully aware that they weren't on the right side of the law either. "So, how do we get in?" he asked, preparing himself for the worst.

"Storm the gates," Sirius said, matter of factly.

Remus gave a slight gulp, still trying not to let on just how nervous the whole idea made him. "There's only three of us."

From aside, James asked, mostly to himself "They have gates?" Again, he knew Sirius' whole family was wealthy but to have gates?

"Alright, I know, it sounds absurd," Sirius responded, frustration rising in his voice, "but Bellatrix and Narcissa aren't an issue and Lucius is a proper lush." He took a staggering breath and continued. "They don't stand a chance."

James nodded, kicking his own bike to a start and took off first, knowing that Sirius would catch him.

There was still one thing that Remus had to have answered. He leaned forward. "How do you know there won't be more people there?" No response. "Pads?" He leaned a bit more, making sure he could both be seen and heard. "Hello, did you hear me?" He shook the driver lightly, asking again, "Sirius, how do you know that it's only the three of them?"

Sirius pounded his fists against the handlebars, the clang of this Gryffindor ring against metal startling Remus even over the sound of the engine. "Okay, I don't, alright?" He shook his head and adjusted himself, allowing for face to face conversation, "But this is all the chance we've got."

Caught off guard by the sudden tone, Remus managed a quick nod before centering himself firmly on the bike and giving a pat of affirmation on Sirius' hip, signaling that he was ready for whatever was to come.

And they were off, racing through London and off into the countryside in search of Malfoy Manor

The cool breeze took over for the muggy midday heat as the sun sank into the horizon. Sirius veered closer to James and kicked slightly, signaling for him to cut off through the woods alongside of the road. He followed order and fell behind so Sirius could lead.

Their speed increased, taking air with each tree root they took over. Small animals skittered out of the way. The boys bunkered down tighter to the metal underneath them as they clanked down onto the small cobblestone street on the other side of the trees.

Sirius slowed down at the edge of an evergreen fence and hopped off. He jerked his head toward the center of the property. His friends fell in flanked behind him. They reached tall gates and, while James and Remus stopped momentarily, Sirius merely continued walking, waving his wand and banishing the gates to smoke. The pair stared for a beat, continuing on after. The leader extended his forefinger and crooked it around to the side. The trio jogged for the side of the expansive building. Under different circumstances, Remus would have longed to wander, taking in the architecture and landscaping, but now wasn't that time. While no door appeared, an open window sufficed. Sirius peered inside and saw a familiar shape hunched over the edge of a chaise, sobbing quietly. He turned back and nodded, gesturing to James. The shortest of the three approached the window. Remus and Sirius knelt down, a dangerous smile crossing each face. Perhaps they'd make it out of here without a fight. They hoisted James through the window and he landed nearly noiselessly. It wasn't until he had almost crossed the entire room that his friend stirred. He knelt down, and said quietly "Peter, get up." His eyes darted to the door and back to his friend. "We're here to get you out. Come on. Can you walk?"

The diminished frame sat up slightly, eyes red rimmed and bleary. When he realized who it was in front of him, he couldn't help himself. He threw his arms around the neck of his friend, tears falling hot and angry now. "James! James, I'm so sorry. They made me." James stood the pair of them up and started heading to the window. "I didn't want to. I'm sorry. They made me and…"

"Shh… It's okay. We've got you." Upon the word 'we,' Peter looked out of the window and saw the remaining Marauders waving him out. James leaned on the window frame, offering a hand to Peter who looked around, frightened. "Come on. We're getting you out of here." With a boost, he was out the window and on his way into Sirius' arms.

"I've got you," Sirius said, aiding him to the ground. "I've got you. I promise you're alright." Sirius grabbed him by the hand and did a quick twirl. "We've all got you. Let's go."

"Peter, are you hungry?" came a voice from the other side of the door. Narcissa peeked her head in tentatively. "I'm sorry we've…"

James whirled around at the voice, giving the speaker a quick startled look before jumping quickly from the window. "Shit," he hissed, grabbing Remus by the wrist and pulling him along after, Sirius and Peter following suit. "Narcissa saw me. We've got to get out."

The four ran as fast as they could for the bikes, nearly throwing Peter into the sidecar of Sirius's bike and taking off, hooting into the night sky.

They flew as far as possible before they had to stop and take a break to figure out what had just happened and give Peter a proper welcome back.

"You alright, mate?" Sirius asked, giving him a clap to the shoulder.

Peter nodded, adding breathlessly, "Yeah, 'm fine."

"Good," he answered. "Me, I'm gonna go take a piss." With that, he took his canine form and headed for some low brush off to the side. Peter merely laughed before raising his right arm to his face to wipe away a few beads of sweat when his sleeve rose slightly, revealing four deep gashes on his forearm.

The wounds didn't go unnoticed by the boys. "Blimey, what happened to your arm," James asked incredulously, taking a hold of his wrist and elbow gingerly, examining them.

He blushed furiously, looking down to escape the prying eyes, even for a moment. "After you lot got away, the ones that had stayed behind for you came there for me," he gulped and then looked up at James, "trying to get the information for where you might've gone." He looked around at the other boy before adding, "That's what happened." He shrugged it off a bit, gaining some bravado and pulling his sleeve back down.

Remus' face fell. He knew who had had him and Sirius and, if that were the case… No. He couldn't think of it. Still, he had to ask. "Was it…" He pointed to Peter's arm lightly, and then asked "Are you?" When he didn't get more response than a set of confused looks, he need hardly gesture to the scar on his own face before his point was taken.

"No, Remus. I'm alright. It wasn't him." He moved toward his friend and draped his uninjured arm around his shoulders. "It was Dolohov and Bellatrix for the most part." The group walked toward the bikes quietly, in a formation so familiar but still so strange. One draped around another's shoulder while the other two carried on in the back. The black dog had regained their group, not regaining his human shape. Instead, he opted for the much more amusing game of winding himself around James' feet in an attempt to have him fall on his face. It was just as they wanted- like old times.

Suddenly, Peter stopped in his tracks, looking straight at Remus, alarmed. "Is Mary alright?"

James moved toward the pair in the front, adding his own weight around Peter's shoulders. "Yeah, she's fine. A little shaken up, but she's with Lily and she's safe." He poked a bit at the smaller boy's ribs and joked, "I'm sure she'll be loads better once you turn up."

"Yeah," he shrugged, scratching lightly at his face.

Sirius bolted through their legs from behind, hopping into the sidecar as a dog and reemerging in his human form. He swung his legs over the side and queried "What'd they do to you in there anyway, mate?"

As they approached, he spoke. "Nothing too bad, I guess. I'd just… I'd rather not talk about it." He slanted his mouth a ways before shooting a smile at the group. "I'm just glad to be out of there."

The trio broke apart, allowing room for Sirius to intrude, wrapping his own arm tightly around Peter's neck. "Of course you are, Wormtail, m'lad." He gestured his arms wildly, walking him over to James' bike. "Let's get you home to your lady fair, drown out a bottle of fire whiskey and pretend the whole thing never happened."

A chorus of rambunctious yells came from the group as they started their bikes.

For Remus, the celebration was short lived. As he stood between the two vehicles, he turned to Padfoot, arms crossed and pouting. "Sirius- you do know what this means, right?"

In typical Sirius Black style, he gave a playboy, shirk-it-all grin. "Of course I do. But that doesn't mean we have to focus on it tonight." He reached his hands for Remus, who's expression still spelled doom, pulling him close and bringing his own expression down. "This has been going on for months, Moony. Years, even." Remus nodded, still not seeing how this was a cause for celebration. "People disappear all the time. That's this world. That's this war," he said, eyes searching Remus for a sign of recognition. "That's what the Order's about. Making it stop." Remus smiled a bit, focusing his gaze on Sirius' shirt, knowing that looking at how passionate he was about this would have made him cave without the chance of hearing what he had to say. "But for tonight. Tonight we celebrate. Tonight, we've saved Peter." He adjusted the boy's gaze, fixing it on himself before turning him to face their friends who looked on curiously. "We might not get so lucky all the time, but that's a risk we have to take." James and Sirius exchanged a smile, whereas Peter looked away. "We have to try. We have to fight." He brought Remus' attention back to himself, running his rough hand along the boy's jawline. "But right now, we all need a good drink, some alone time with the ones we hold closest and to, for the time being, forget that this whole thing happened." He pulled him close, placing a quick kiss to his forehead before he pulled back. James and Peter exchanged a knowing glance before he kicked the bike into a roar.

Remus climbed onto the bike behind him and wrapped his arms a bit too tightly around him. "I love you."

He turned around slightly and asked. "What was that for?"

"I just felt like it needed to be said," he shrugged.

He gave a small smile and nodded. "I love you, too."


End file.
